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Pricing and estimating guides
Short, specific writing on the parts of running a trades business that decide whether the work you win is worth having.
- Markup vs margin
Markup is calculated on cost, margin on price. Here's the conversion, the arithmetic, and the number you actually need to cover overhead.
- What to include in a contractor estimate
The nine parts of an estimate that closes: scope, exclusions, allowances, price, payment schedule, change orders, warranty, expiry and a signature line.
- How much should a contractor charge per hour?
Build your hourly rate from three numbers: loaded labour cost, overhead per billable hour, and your target margin. Includes a worked example.
- The exclusions that stop free work
Why the 'not included' section is the most valuable part of a contractor estimate, plus the exclusions worth carrying on every job.
Start here if you're not sure
Read markup vs margin first — it's ten minutes and it changes the number on your next quote. Then run the overhead calculator, which is the figure almost nobody has and everybody needs.
The short version, in one file
The Vault's ten-minute pricing guide settles markup, margin and the three costs every price has to cover — then the calculator applies them to every job you quote.
Pricing calculator, 10 trade estimate templates in Word, pre-written exclusions and terms, and the 10-minute pricing guide. One payment, no subscription, 30-day guarantee.